LA GRANDE — The return of the Oregon All-Star Volleyball Match at Eastern Oregon University Saturday, June 19, gave 21 athletes from across the state — and many from Northeastern Oregon — one more opportunity to step on the volleyball court, most for the final time.

“I thought it was really rewarding,” Imbler senior Anika McDonald said. “I don’t think people realize how heartbreaking it can be to leave a sport behind when you graduate high school. You play something from third or fourth grade all the way up to 12th, and then you just leave it. You leave it behind. And that can be really hard sometimes to have it ripped away from you. I’m not playing sports in college, so for me this was my last real volleyball game. I think it’s just a rewarding thing for people who work so hard. I’m thankful I had this opportunity.”

The matches were particularly unique for McDonald’s team in that of the seven athletes on the team — which was coached by Imbler’s Jennifer Teeter — six were from three different schools across Union County, giving that team the most local representation of the three that took part. In addition to McDonald, Erin Coston and Rylee Deal from Imbler were a part of “Team Teeter.” They were joined by La Grande’s Presley Justice and Anna Green, and by Ahnica Shoemaker from Union. Jade McCoy of South Wasco County was the seventh player on the team.

There were 11 athletes from Union and Wallowa counties who took part.

Green said she had played with some of the athletes on her team in club volleyball, but said it was still gratifying to step on the court with them in the all-star match.

“It’s honestly been just an honor, competing with some of the best girls in the state,” she said. “It’s been really fun, especially being on a team with kids in my area.”

The match was unique in a different facet for Shoemaker, and not only because she donned an Imbler uniform for the game.

That, in fact, may have been a look at what could have been.

“It did feel a little odd (wearing an Imbler uniform) but the special thing was I lived in Imbler for 11 years before I moved to Union,” she said. “It was right before school sports. I got to live in Imbler and almost got to play school sports (there). I may have ended up with Imbler. Today was kind of special because it was kind of going back to my past. That was great.”

Getting to play a match under Teeter was also a blast for Shoemaker.

“She was so much fun, she kept encouraging us, didn’t make us feel bad,” she said. “She just encouraged us the whole time. She (was) really excited and genuinely happy for us.”

On the court, Team Teeter finished third out of the three teams assembled for the June 19 set. They dropped three sets to the Marji Lind-coached team that featured three of her Powder Valley standouts — Belle Blair, Brooke Allen and Keanna Bingham — 25-14, 27-25, 25-13 — and three sets to St. Paul head coach Lesli Hiller and her squad, which included Jamie Johnston and Ashlyn Young of Wallowa, 25-20, 25-18, 25-21.

Team Lind won against Team Hiller in the third match, 27-25, 25-11, 25-22.

Green, though, was proud of the effort her team put forth — especially given the teams didn’t practice together until June 18.

“And it takes quite a bit of time to adjust to those new players, and getting into the hang of how they play the game compared to how I always play the game,” she said. “I feel like with one day of practice, we really connected, We have really helped each other a lot. We had some mixups… (But) we did really well adjusting.”

McDonald said celebrating accomplishments on the court is part of the enjoyment of volleyball. She wasn’t sure how that would play out with athletes she wasn’t used to, but it quickly resembled what she experienced at Imbler.

“I wasn’t going into this day thinking we were going to have that. With my team we get so hyped about it because we know each other and we’re proud of each other. But I still felt that same pride,” she said.

The matches were a good send off before the players step into the next facets of their lives, Shoemaker said.

“That was so much fun to be with these girls one last time before we all go off to college or whatever we’re doing,” she said.